Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-05-27
Of tba chain because thew have never tried

we seem to get along quite smoothly, but
if after q while we turn around and head
the other way, toward Christ and pardon
and heaven, oh, then how we have to lay
to the oars! You all have your temptation.
You have one kind, you another, you an
other, not one person escaping.
1t is all folly for you to say to some one on,
II could not be tempted as you are" Inc
lion thinks it is SO strange that the hs,l
should be caught with hook. The fish
thinks it is SO strange that the lion should
be caught with trap. You see some man
with cold, phlegmatic temperament, and
you say: II suppose that man has no
temptation" Yes, as much as you have.
In his phlegmatic nature he has tempta,
ton to Incidence and consciousness, ana
over eating and drinking; temptation TO
ignore the great work of life; temptation
to lay down an obstacle in the way of all
good enterprises. The temperament de-
cides the styles of temptation; but sang1ine
or Emphatic, you will have temptation.
Satan has graphing hook just fitted for
your soul. man never lives beyond the
reach of temptation. You say when man
gets to be 40 or so years of age he is safe
! from all Satanic assault. You are very
much mistaken. man at IS years of age
has as many temptations as man ut 20.
They are only different styles of tempta-
ton.
Ask the aged Christian whether he is
never assaulted of the powers of darkness.
If you think you have conquered the
power of temptation, you are very much
| mistaken.
4 A man who wanted q throne pretended
he was very weak and sickly, and it he was
elevated he would soon be gone. He
crawled upon his clutches to the throne,
and having attained it he was strong again.
H. WIt VINO wall for ma while I WAS
looking for scepter OF another that
should soep, but now that I have found
it, why should stoop any longer?" and
he threw away his clutches and was well
again.
How illustrative of the power of tempta-
ton! You think it is weak and crippled
influence; but give it chance, and it will
be tyrant i'll Your soul, it will grind YOU
to atoms. No man has finally and forever
overcome temptation until he has lett the
world. But what are you 10 do with these
temptations? Tell everybody about them?
All, what a silly man you would be! As
we'll nights commander in fort send word
to the enemy whcin gate OF the castle is
least barred as for you TO 60 and tell what
all your frailties IRE and what your temp
tations are. The world will only caricuture
you, will only scott ut you. What then
must man do? When the wave strikes
him with terrific dash shall he have moth
ing to hold on to? In this contest with "the
world, the flesh and the devil" shall man
have no help, no counsel?
Our text intimates something different.
In those eyes that wept with the Bethany
sisters see shining hope. In that voice
which spake until the grave broke and the
widow of Main had back her lost son, and
the sea slept, and sorrow stupendous woke
up in the arms of rapture-in that voice
hear the command and the promise: "Cast
thy burden on the Lord, and he will sus-
tain thee" Why should You carry your
burdens any longer? Oh, you weary soul,
Christ has been in this conflict. He says:
"My grace shall be sufficient for you. You
able to hear" Therefore, with all your
temptations, go as these disciples did, and
! tell Jesus.
l Again: / commend the behavior of the
disciples to all those who are abused anG
slahdered and prosecuted. When Herod
, put John to death, the disciples knew thai
their own heads were not safe. And dc
, you know that every John has Herod!
} There are persons in life who do not wish
{ you very we'll. Your misfortunes are honey
t combs 10 them. Through their teeth they
hiss ut you, misinterpret your motives and
would be glad to see you upset. No man
gets through life without having punlmel-
ing. Some slandor comes after you. horned
and husked and hoofed, tog gore and trample
) you; and what are you to do? l tell YOU
plainly that all who serve Christ mus
suffer persecution. 1t is the worst sign in the
world for you to be able to say: "Ihaven,
{ an enemy in the world" A WOO is pro.
, nounced in the Bible against the one Of
r whom everybody speaks we'll. If you are
ct peace with all the world, and everybody
| likes you and approves your work, it is be-
| cause you are an idler in the Lords vine
, yard. and are not doing your duty.
: All those who have served Christ, how
ever eminent, have been maltreated al
some stage of their experience. You know
, it was SO in the time of George Whitfield,
when he stood and invited men into the
kingdom of God. What did the learned
, DR.. johnson say to him? He pronounced
, him q miserable mountehank. How was
it when Robert Hall stood and spoke as
} scarcely any uninspired man ever did
} speak OF the glories of heaveny And as he
} stood Sabbath after Sabbath preach ing on
these themes his face kindled with the
, glory. John Foster. Christian man, said
( of this man: Robert Hall is only acting.
/ and the smile on his face is reflection Of
t his own vanity" John Wesley turned all
7 England upside down with Christian re-
form, and yet the punsters were after him,
"Au ZIG ueauesG JohcS III England were per.
petrated about John Wesley. What is true
| of the pulpit is true of the pew; it is true
of the street, it is true of the shop and the
, store. All who will live cody in Christ
+ Jesus must suffer persecution.
, And set it down as the very worst sign
i in all your Christian experience, if YOU are.
, any of you, at peace with all the world.
+ The religion Of Christ is war. It is a
8 challenge to "the world, The flesh, and the
8 devils" and if you will buckle on the
s whole armor of God you will find great
8 host disputing your path between this and
! heaven. But what ore you to do when YOU
are assaulted and slandered and abused.
r as suppose nearly all of you have been
t in your life? Go out and hunt up the
: slanderer? Oh, no, silly man; while Won
I are explaining away falsehood in one
place, fifty people will just have heard of
) it in other places.
, counsel you TO another course. While
, you are not to omit any opportunity of set
. ting yourselves right, I want to tell YOU
t this morning of one who had the hardest
things said about Him, whose sobriety Was
t disputed, whose mission was secuted.
8 whose companionship was denounced.
/. who was pursued as babe and spit upon
3 as man. who was howled at after He was